TOP STORIES

Mystery of missing carbine: Lookout notices in 2 states
New Delhi, July 23
The Haryana Police have sought the assistance of their counterparts in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to locate a police carbine along with magazines and cartridges, which went missing in Haryana Bhawan here from the custody of Personal Security Officer of an IPS officer in 1995.

Mob targets Kanwarias in communal flare-up
Meerut, July 23
More than 12 persons, including policemen, were injured and several shops gutted when violence broke out in the city late last night as two groups clashed after a youth was crushed to death by a bus carrying Kanwarias (pilgrims). The police had to fire several rounds in the air to disperse the mob.

SPOTLIGHT
Shortage of hands tests endurance of Delhi University lab staff
New Delhi, July 23
The Members of the Delhi University and College Laboratory Staff Association (DULUSA) are finding themselves “overburdened”. They allege there is a shortage of lab assistants and attendants in most colleges as no efforts have been made to fill vacancies resulting from promotions and retirements. The condition has worsened with the introduction of a six-day week schedule. The president of the DULUSA, Mr S. S. Rana said, “There are approximately 300 vacancies of lab attendants in colleges as well as in the university. 

A college fresher uses her mobile on the sly even as her batchmate keeps a watchful eye, in view of the authorities cracking down on cell buffs. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

INDUSTRY UPDATE
Blocked drains choke production in Faridabad units
Faridabad, July 23
The incessant rain and the resultant waterlogging have taken a heavy toll on the industrial activity here. Monday was perhaps the worst day of the season. Besides residential colonies, factories were inundated in four to five feet water, bringing production to a halt.

GAME PLAN
Haryana to have sports varsity
Gurgaon, July 23
The Haryana Government will set up a sports university in the state, according to Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala.

Panel to push Punjabi in offices
New Delhi, July 23
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has set up a committee to draw up a plan for introducing Urdu and Punjabi as the second languages in educational institutions and offices of the Government of NCT of Delhi.

AIIMS panel to select caretaker for twins
New Delhi, July 23
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences has constituted a committee to select a non-governmental organisation (NGO), which will be entrusted with the care of the conjoined twins.

Monsoon looks set to break record
New Delhi: The monsoon appears to be on a record-breaking spree in the Capital. It has also claimed 16 lives and exposed the ineptness of the civic authorities in dealing with the annual ritual of waterlogging and traffic chaos.

POLITICS

RLD to enrol ‘satyagrahis’ for SYL agitation
Bhiwani, July 23
The Rashtriya Lok Dal will enrol one lakh ‘satyagrahis’ in the state to create an awareness apropos of its demand for the construction of Satluj Yamuna Link canal and equal distribution of water.

STATEHOOD BILL
Ab Dilli door nahin: Khurana
New Delhi, July 23
Will the Bill for turning NCT of Delhi from a Union Territory into a State of the Union be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament? Yes, if Delhi Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Madan Lal Khurana is to be believed.

COMMUNITY

IN PARLIAMENT
Conviction in 42 rape cases only out of 232 reported
New Delhi, July 23
Out of 232 rapes cases reported in NCT of Delhi till May 2003, there was conviction only in 42 cases, the Rajya Sabha was told today. In the remaining cases, 190 accused were either acquitted or discharged, Union Minister of State for Home Harin Pathak said in a written reply.

TAKING A DIM VIEW: Cable operators sitting on a dharna in protest against the Free-to-Air package of the Government in front of Rajghat in the Capital on Wednesday. — Photo Kamal Singh

Krishi Channel will serve as an information highway for us: Farmers
Sonepat, July 23
The government decision to launch a Krishi Channel on the national network on August 15 has been widely welcomed by agriculture scientists, farmers and kisan organisations. They have opined this will bring about a revolutionary change in the agriculture pattern and uplift the rural economy, which is entirely based on agriculture.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON PANIPAT
Cheats have a field day at railway station
Panipat, July 23
The Government Railway Police (GRP) have failed to bust a gang of cheats active at the railway station. These crooks have reportedly deprived hundreds of innocent persons, particularly labourers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, of their earnings.

Ambitious plan to make Sonepat a dream city 
Sonepat, July 23
Sonepat is one of the important cities of Haryana under the National Capital Region (NCR). The state government has an ambitious plan to develop it on the northern side of Delhi as a full-fledged city with 20 lakh prospective population by AD 2020. The city would be developed like Faridabad and Gurgaon.

Rs 1 cr sanctioned for road repair in Sonepat
Sonepat, July 23
The Haryana Government has sanctioned an amount of Rs 1crore for the construction and repair of roads in the Sonepat assembly constituency during the current financial year.

Guru Harkishan Saheb birthday celebrated with fervour

New Delhi, July 23 Guru Harkishan Saheb birthday was celebrated with great fervour and gaiety by all the citizens of India, particularly the Sikh community. Sweets and langars were distributed in gurdwaras. Devotees at Gurdwara Rakabganj in the Capital on Wednesday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

200 sewing machines for poor women
Rewari, July 23
The Haryana Health Minister, Dr M. L. Ranga, distributed 200 sewing machines among the poor and destitute women belonging to the families living below the poverty line (BPL) at a function held at Bawal, 14 km from here.

NCR BRIEFS
Strengthen night patrolling, orders IG
Sonepat, July 23
The Inspector General of Police, Rohtak Range, Mr Sharad Kumar, has directed the police to intensify night patrolling to curb the activities of criminals and other anti-social elements in the district.

Body seized Criminal held after encounter

CBSE Platinum Jubilee Param Sahit Sanmaan

DELHI DIGEST Labourer electrocuted in Maharani Bagh New Delhi, July 23 Peeku, a resident of Sangam Vihar in South district apparently died from electrocution in house number 6, Easter Avenue, Maharani Bagh where he worked as a labourer. He was found dead last evening by his colleagues. New Friends Colony police are making an inquiry into the case, police said.

EDUCATION

CAMPUS
NSUI jumps on the IAS bandwagon
It is the time of the year when various students’ factions on the campus are sprucing up their image. Though most will demur from acknowledging these as election gimmicks, for the average student these sudden bursts are expected, but welcome.

Orientation programme at IMM IGNOU to launch course in association with WIPO Special scholarships for management students

Lakshay Polytechnic students organise fashion show Amity convocation Leave skimpy dresses and cell phones at home

Students refused admission; probe ordered New Delhi, July 23 The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has instituted an inquiry into the case of a school at Jahangirpuri in Civil Lines Zone where the headmaster allegedly refused children admission in different classes, the Chairman of he Education Committee, Mr Farhad Suri, said.

HEALTH

DRUG SAFETY PROFILE
Thank God! Doctors are shy of prescribing Nimesulide now
New Delhi, July 23
Nimesulide might have been given a clean chit by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) sparking a debate among pediatricians and other medical experts in India and abroad, but the number of prescriptions for the medicine has fallen.

SPORTS

Nishank Bajaj to meet Sunal in boys singles title clash
New Delhi, July 23
Nishank Bajaj will take on Sunal Jain in the boys singles final of the Chandravati Bhatnagar Manav Sthali Open Table Tennis Tournament at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium on Thursday. In the semi-finals on Wednesday, Nishank prevailed over Varun Jindal 11-9, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7 while Sunal defeated Vishal Aggarwal 11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9.

20 candidates in fray for DDCA Sports Committee
New Delhi, July 23
Canvassing has reached a feverish pitch as after withdrawals, 20 candidates have been left in the fray for the election to the Working Committee of the Sports Committee of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), to be held on July 25.

Youngmen crush Victory in DSA League
New Delhi, July 23
Youngmen Club crushed Victory 4-0 in a Group III match of A Division in the Delhi Soccer Association-SAIL Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium on Wednesday.

Jyoti, Arjun light up the course with hot display
New Delhi, July 23
Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Singh produced hot golf as they raced to the top of the leader board after the opening round of the Rs 18 lakh prize money Kashmir Open Golf Championship at the Royal Springs Golf Course, according to information available in Delhi.

Yoga team returns with a rich haul
New Delhi, July 23
The 12-member Indian yoga contingent, who participated in the 12th World Yoga Championship at St Maria da Feira in Portugal from July 18 to 20, have returned home with a rich haul of two gold, eight silver and as many bronze medals.

Gaurav Bhatia hits century
New Delhi, July 23
An attractive century by Gaurav Bhatia, who cracked 108, studded with ten boundaries and two sixes, helped Bharat National Cricket Academy beat Crifit Academy by 50 runs in an under-13 match at the Bharat National School ground.